The present application relates to data processing, in particular to data integration between at least two different computer systems.
As the demand for data volumes continue to grow and pace of business becomes faster and more competitive, effective management of storage systems is becoming more and more important for enterprises. Many enterprises use two or more different computer systems, e.g., an open system and a mainframe system, for storing their data.
The term “open system” refers to a computer system that provides interoperability with systems that are manufactured by a plurality of vendors and are not restricted by proprietary standards. Generally, the term “open system” commonly refers to Unix-based systems. Since the emergence of The Open Group's Single Unix Specification, any operating system that supports the Unix APIs is considered to be an open system. Another example of the open system is a system that runs Window NT™ of Microsoft. The open system is commonly used in applications that require versatilities, e.g., customer relation management applications, due to its interoperability.
The term “mainframe” refers to large, powerful, and expensive computer used by enterprises for bulk data processing. Many of the mainframes currently being used by enterprises are those manufactured by IBM. Many of these, particularly older versions, are incompatible with the other systems, e.g., an open system. Generally, the mainframes are more robust than the open system so the former is used for more often in applications where robustness is of the primary importance, e.g., accounting applications.
Enterprises generally have one or more mainframe systems and one or more open systems. Accordingly, one of data management issues faced by the enterprises is data integration between the open system and mainframe system. The data integration may be done over a local area network (LAN) or storage area network (SAN). The LAN refers to a computer network covering a local area, such as an office or a building. The SAN refers to a network whose primary purpose is the transfer of data between computer system and storage elements and among storage elements. A SAN generally includes a communication infrastructure for providing physical connections and a management layer for organizing the connections, storage elements, and computer systems so that the data transfer is secure and robust. Alternatively, the SAN may also refer to a storage system including storage elements, storage devices, and computerr systems.